Landis' Father In Law Apparently Commits Suicide

[Corlyss_D]

He was found dead in his car. It's being investigated as a suicide.

Edited to change the title.

[jbuck919]

I know we are not in a competition to find unpleasant stories first and report them here. This is one I wish no one had found at all.

[Gary]

Shocking! Absolutely shocking!

[Corlyss_D]

Shocking! Absolutely shocking!

My reaction too. I looked for a news report on it, but it apparently was so new that Google News didn't have it. I heard it on the radio. I know we have a few Tour fans here. Maybe they can flesh it out. I can't imagine that the doping story was that important such that he should kill himself, even if it were true.

[Ralph]

I don't follow these sports events but this report just turns my stomach. Can it mean THAT much to win?

[Gary]

It was Landis' father-in-law

Father-in-law of cyclist Landis found dead in San Diego

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- The father-in-law of embattled Tour de France winner Floyd Landis was found dead, and a family spokesman said Wednesday authorities were investigating it as a possible suicide.

David Witt, 57, was discovered in his car Tuesday afternoon in a San Diego parking garage, said Michael Henson, a Landis family spokesman.

"The Landises are devastated by the news of David's death," Henson told The Associated Press. "They loved him dearly, and they miss him."

Witt was the stepfather of Landis' wife, Amber.

San Diego police Lt. Kevin Rooney confirmed Witt's body had been found but declined to say whether investigators were treating it as a possible suicide.

Landis, who lives in Murrieta, tested positive for high levels of testosterone after a tough Alpine stage July 20, when he made a remarkable comeback and went on to win the Tour. Both his "A" and "B" samples tested positive, and a separate test detected that at least some of the testosterone in his body was synthetic. Tour de France officials have said they no longer consider Landis the champion.

He and his attorneys have cited several possible reasons for the positive doping test: ingesting something that raised his testosterone; cortisone shots for pain in his degenerating hip; drinking beer and whiskey the night before the test; thyroid medication; his natural metabolism; and dehydration.

http://sports.yahoo.com/sc/news;_ylt=As ... &type=lgns

[Haydnseek]

By the way, the more I read about the Landis case, the more inclined I am to think he is innocent. Not so long before the recent Tour de France, the lab that did the testing was harshly criticised in a report for the International Cycling Union on both scientific and ethical grounds. I won't be shocked to learn that Landis cheated given the widespread problems in all sports but my hunch is he didn't. I hope some energetic journalists take a good look at what the lab has been up to.

[Corlyss_D]

Thanks Gary. I am glad the first report was wrong.

[Ralph]

I am relieved! Sorry, of course, for the family but I doubt this death is really related to the doping issue.

[paulb]

I tried to read between the lines of Landis' statements of denial. All I could gather was that "if you want to accuse me of taking stuff, I'll blow the whistle on all the other teams."...."the french labs try to pull this stunt everytime an american team wins"..."must have been something i ate that gave the testasterone level high"......"I just xcan't explain my high level of testasterone, I think I'm just abnormally high"......If its true that other teams juice up as well then all's fair. If other teams can prove they don't juice, Landis is GUILTY.

The father in law must know something we don't.

[Gary]

By the way, the more I read about the Landis case, the more inclined I am to think he is innocent. Not so long before the recent Tour de France, the lab that did the testing was harshly criticised in a report for the International Cycling Union on both scientific and ethical grounds. I won't be shocked to learn that Landis cheated given the widespread problems in all sports but my hunch is he didn't. I hope some energetic journalists take a good look at what the lab has been up to.

Haydnseek,

Do you know whether there's some international committee that oversees testing procedures?

I am glad the first report was wrong.

So am I. Poor father-in-law, though.

[mourningstar]

but don't you think it's odd? i mean, he had a supermajor come back,.. almost not human. I am not sure about his innocence.. his results were twice positive.

I don't think any Father-in-Law would ever commit suicide for this